Everyone said it was amazing chicken. Well it was okay a lot of people said I would love it. I've had broasted chicken before, but Bernie's had no flavor. Sadly disappointed probably not going to return. read more

There is a lot to like about this place. There's a vibe here that you won't find anywhere else. A vibe that tells you the food is gonna be good. The chicken was... fine. It wasn't bad. I've had better. This is a whole experience though, and you should check it out. read more

Excellent fried chicken. REALLY loved the coleslaw & could have eaten 4x the amount-loved it that much!!!

I'm not sure why southerners like these kinds of places. It's the same everywhere, just average greasy fried chicken with boring sweet tea and slaw. nothing special. Absolutely filthy/disgusting inside. read more

Bernie's Chicken is in my opinion the best place for fried chicken in Columbia SC. It is super fantastic. The staff is courteous a polite. They take orders and service you very quickly. My favorite meal here is the 3 piece chicken basket packed with dark meat, Fries, cold slaw and ice tea. If you are looking for some great fried chicken you owe it to yourself to stop in here. Let me be the first to tell you. You will definitely enjoy it. Five stars from me. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Some of the best chicken in town. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Great chicken and fast service, my grandma always said that, if the parking lot's full, that's where you want to eat! They were right, every time I come here the lot is full the service area is full but the staff is so on top of their game, you barely even feel the wait. Now, let's talk about the chicken! It's always so hot and so fresh, I live in Charleston but any time I'm near Columbia, I make it a priority to get over there. I always get the 4 piece and eat it on the road. It's so tasty, like finger chewing off tasty.. don't know much more about the history or anything else, I just know the chicken is Good!! read more

Chicken was sooo delicious!!! Sides, potato salad and coleslaw, were a great compliment to the sumptuous chicken. There was a line to order but service was fast that we got our food in no time. The ladies were really very nice. Wish I lived closer as I would visit this place every week. Would definitely recommend this place!!!! read more

Best fried chicken around. Reasonable priced! I wish they would open a location in Lexington.

Yummy for my tummy. Today I experienced some good eating..... The fried chicken exceeded my expectations.... I will definitely be back

Absolutely the best chicken anywhere, anytime! Will go every time I get a chance! Brought friends with me and now they agree! Bernie's is the best! read more

Nice little hole in the wall chicken place. The fried chicken is their specialty and they know what they are doing. A golden crispy outside with a hot and juicy inside. Their hot sauce was really tasty as well. The fries are crinkle fries and are a perfect crispness. Don't miss out on the red velvet cake here as it is very, very good. The place is packed for a reason. Good, friendly service and the price is right. (Sorry no pics, but I came with a group for lunch and we were hungry). read more

This place was amazing! The chicken is off the chain, and the 3 piece meal for $8 is unbeatable. My friend got the cheeseburger and said it was delicious. I also got the pecan pie and it was very good. 10/10 recommend this place. read more

The best dang chicken shop in kackalacky that some idiots online decided to hate. They're a bit slow at the moment (thanks biden for passing out that cash so people won't go back to work despite the pandemic being over), but it's worth the wait. read more

Went to columbia for a week of vacation and we picked up the 22 piece bucket potato salad, baked beans, and fries. Oh and sweet tea. After 7+ hours of driving that fried chicken hit the spot. The beans fantastic. Will def order again next time I'm in Columbia. read more

Sooo happy to have found this great fried chicken. Friendly staff and definitely worth the drive.

If your from Columbia, SC or a true Gamecock fan then you know Bernie's hands down is the best chicken in the city. I've been eating here for years and will continue to eat there as long as they are around. The owner and his family are awesome people and know how cook chicken. Overall service has always been the best. When it comes to the food; I always get the special with three legs. Hot sauce or no hot sauce the chicken is just soooooo delicious. Then the fries give you the ol skool feeling because they are so golden and with the right crisp. You can either get slaw or beans, can't go wrong with either one. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE VISITING COLUMBIA read more

Bernie's Chicken - Three Piece Special w/3Legs - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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i can't exlplain other than fresh good chicken the employees are just so welcoming patient and caring. im from philadelphia thankyou

I'm between 3 and. 4 stars. The chicken was juicy and the breading was good and not too heavy. It's clearly a local favorite with a large volume of sales. They turn out the orders quickly. But neither the chicken nor fries were hot. The bun was soft and fresh but tasted like a normal store bought bun. Same with coleslaw. Way too much ice in drink and very little drink. I left thirsty. A bit pricey - $8 for 3 pieces, fries, bun and ice (I mean drink). Chicken was a bit small. I liked the atmosphere and will be back. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Fried chicken thigh, fries and coleslaw. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Fire! Best chicken in Cola regardless of the price. Bernie's will fills me up $10 or less whenever I order or eat here. Their burger combos are good as well. The Diner you can count on! read more

So, those who grew up on the east side of the Congaree River, swear Bernie's is the best chicken in town. Since I grew up on the west bank of the Congaree, my heart belongs to Zesto, but that doesn't mean I can't flirt right?.?.? Bernie's is amazing. I had the lunch special (I asked for all wings) with fries, slaw, & a roll. The slaw is sweet, with finely chopped carrots and cabbage. Delicious. The chicken. Wow. It's crispier with a little more batter than my other place. My wife got the white meat plate. Breast and pully bone. Perfect. So moist and crispy. Some of the best fried chicken ever. South Carolina may be known for fish & grits/shrimp and grits, but damn can we produce some slamming fried chicken. Top five in the state undoubtebly. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Family favorite. We love the chicken dinners and my father was a regular up until his passing. Best fried chicken out of the house and we can still taste the love three generations later... so don't miss out! read more

Chicken so good it'll chokeslam ya taste buds. So juicy and crisp you can hear your taste buds hittin the mat.

Bernie's! I can't believe I've not done a review on Bernie's. Been there probably 100 times in the past 10 years, maybe more, and just read an article where someone reviewed Bernie's, so I had to make sure I'd not reviewed it. I was shocked to find one or two reviews with only 1 or stars! Friends took us to Shealy's about 10 years ago and I thought the chicken was great, some of the best I'd had. I told my neighbor about it and she said, "No, Bernie' chicken is better". I didn't know where Bernie' was and she apparently worked at USC and had frequented it often (she's a Columbia native). So I made my way down to Bernie's. If you go in at 11:00 or around noon expect it to be crowded. It almost always is, but they've got the system down right. Service is quick. The most popular thing at lunch is the special. Three pieces of chicken, fries, Cole slaw with a bun....and tea. It is absolutely the best Fried Chicken that I have ever tasted. Growing up, my favorite meat was alway fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, so I've tried many a fried chicken. I like KFC, Popeye's, Bojangles......all good, but Bernie' is the best. If it's chicken you're after you have to try Bernie's. We often order a box of it and bring it home and reheat it in the oven for lunches throughout the week. Can't be beat. I had a customer at SRS in Aiken that I would take out to lunch frequently. He was always calling me saying he'd found the "Best Fried chicken in the world", so we'd go and check out the place. Can't remember how many of these "Best Fried Chicken in the World" places he drug me to (Crossroads, Main Street Restaurant, some place in Ellington and others). Well, after I discovered Bernie's I told him that I had discovered the "Best Fried Chicken in the World" and he needed to come up so we could go golfing and try out Bernie's Chicken. He did. We golfed. We had the Chicken....and he now says that Bernie's makes the "Best Fried Chicken in the World". Forget about the decor or ambience. It's a fast food, fried chicken place. If you want fancy go somewhere else. If you want good chicken, go to Bernie's. read more

Could care less about the fries,the tea,the coleslaw I came here for the chicken. Good Chicken is what I got, three pieces to be exact one leg one thigh and a breast. Very greasy but hell most fried chicken is that's why they invented napkins you fools. But I agree the fries weren't that great I doused them in ketchup and that helped me finish them off. Waited five minutes before 12:00pm to get my food they are very fast here. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Special - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

After years of hype and recommendation from friends and co-workers, me and my wife finally went. I had the Bernie's Special; 3pcs chicken, coleslaw, fries and sweet tea, all for $6.75. Since my wife panicked because there were so many people, she ordered the same thing. From what I understood, it is a local restaurant here in Columbia. The place was so packed during lunch today that we didn't have a place to sit so we decided to take our lunch to a nearby park. After seeing the crowd I was really excited to taste their food. I was also excited because I thought I finally have another good place to take my out of town friends for a local meal. Unfortunately, the hype didn't meet expectations. After eating, me and my wife both wondered why so much hype. Don't get me wrong, the chicken is worth trying and most definitely better than KFC, but to us it wasn't the kind of food that will make me want to get out of my way and drive just to eat their chicken. The coleslaw and fries by itself, I will give a -2 stars. Will I go back? Absolutely! But again, I won't get out of my way to do it. And I do support and prefer local businesses. The customers they had there were mostly from the area; they are in the middle of a business area. Both blue and white collar workers were there which was nice too see. The customer service is fast so if you're in a hurry don't worry. Don't let the packed place fool you, they'll get your food ready in a hurry, nice and fresh off the fryer. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Good chicken but nothing I would go out of my way for. The place IS usually packed at lunch so it is popular. Decent prices.

Awesome cheeseburger basket with unsweet tea. Parked behind restaurant on 11/30--USC--Clemson game day. $6.25 for food and drink, $20 to park for game! read more

Bernie's Chicken - Uhm, yum! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Chicken was fresh, hot and lightly coated. Don't care for heavy breading and this place does not disappoint. Pricing was a good value. Great staff. Loved this gem! read more

Excellent food. Chicken was cooked to golden brown perfection. Service was quick and easy with a packed out dining room at lunch time. Old school ambiance with the southern charm you'd expect. 5/5 nothing negative to say. Thank you! read more

Don't go to Bernie's thinking you're going to avoid the lunch rush. At 2:10, I still had to take a number and have a seat. There are as many seeded in the large dining area as there are getting to go orders, several of which were provided a box to carry they're large orders out. Don't let that discourage you though, Bernie's Chicken defines the phrase "worth the wait". Pleasant employee's take your order, and your food arrives quicker than you expect, hot and fresh! For $8.75, I couldn't pass up the special, which is three pieces of chicken, fries, slaw, dinner roll and a drink! I assume this is a regular feature. You really can't beat it. I expected my three pieces to be a wing and two real pieces but was pleasantly surprised to get a leg and two thighs. You have to choice of dark or white meat. I prefer the dark. The slaw has a vinegary heat to it. The tea is as good as any true southerner can make it. If you've never had broasted chicken, it's a hot, crunchy, juicy delight. The crinkle fries were hot, but you will need to salt them at the table. I didn't see a fleck on any of my fries. If you want to leave satisfied and full for under $10, Bernie's should be on the top of your list. Great for lunch or dinner. You can even grab a dessert to go, the banana pudding looks amazing. read more

I have been living in Columbia for about 8 months now and it feels like once a week does Bernie's come up in conversation. I have heard all the legends about this place and seen it more than enough. I finally had the perfect opportunity to try out the place. To start things off, the place gave off a such a homestyle feel from the decor and the guest within in the place. Their menu was kind of tough to navigate but it did not matter much as I was set on ordering the "Bernie's Special". The meal came with 3 pieces of dark meat chicken, fries, coleslaw, a roll, and a sweet for around 9 dollars. Of everything I was given, the chicken obviously was the best part as it was so juicy and delicious. The fries were not anything special along with the bread. The coleslaw was great which is coming from someone who typically does not like coleslaw. It would have been nice to have some more sauce effort as the hot sauce was just generic hot sauce that did not do the chicken justice. All in all, I see why this place is always talked about but the meal felt inconsistent in the quality of the items rather than a full complete meal. read more

There aren't enough stars on Yelp for Bernie's Chicken. I think the famous meal is $6.75 now and that's 3 pieces of chicken, a big helping of fries, and a cole slaw and includes a sweet tea and hot sauce if you want it. You can literally buy 2 and you're not far from a KFC or Bojangle 3-piece price. And the chicken tastes better than any other on this planet except your great grandma. read more

Best fried chicken I've had so far in Columbia. Bernie's special is a good deal. Can be busy during lunch time but you won't be waiting more than 10 minutes. read more

Great chicken - husband bought it home and it was pretty darn tasty. Would have loved some coleslaw with it!

This is some really good fried chicken. Much better than the "name brand" fast food spots.

What a great find for a couple of accidental tourists in Columbia visiting Congaree National Park. Yummy fried chicken special and sweet tea in a wonderful, no-frills, friendly atmosphere! read more

Bernie's ... yes! Another place where I only get one thing... The chick-fil-a sandwich basket. I don't know how they make their chicken filets or who their supplier is but this is just about the best fast-food sandwich deal i've ever seen. $4.35 for a cole slaw, some fries, and a sandwich. Absolutely slaughters comparable meals at chick-fil-a, bojangle's, mcdonald's etc. and for 2-3 bucks cheaper. I think the fried chicken is made with peanut oil?!? But don't quote me on it. Comparable to another chicken establishment in town, Zesto's, but considerably cheaper. read more

Yummy for my tummy. Today I experienced some good eating..... The fried chicken exceeded my expectations.... I will definitely be back again. read more

I wish I could just give the fried chicken 5 stars. It was outstanding - the exterior was light and crispy, almost translucent, very unique (nothing like KFC, chik-fil-a, or tempura). Fried chicken is always a bit oily, but this really wasn't. Both dark and light meat were tender and juicy, easily fell off bone. The rest of the meal was Okay. Rolls, Cole slaw and fries were straight out of local supermarket. Baked beans were very tasty, just firm enough. But does this really matter? They aren't the draw, the chicken is and it's not to be missed. I suspect there aren't many yelp reviews because this isn't really a Yelper place. Located in industrial area near stadium. Definitely for the working class, where please and thank you and ma'am abound. Lots of municipal and contractor trucks here. The place was loaded the whole time we were there. We'll be back! Thanks, Yelp, for helping us find the place! read more

We were driving around on vacation looking for some good local food and landed here. It was perfect! The lunch special, 3 pieces fried chicken, fries and a drink was so delicious, we went and ordered more! As a treat Bernie himself came by our table and said 'hi'. read more

Bernie's Chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina